Cause of S. Canal St. blaze still undetermined

A firefighter kneels at a door to the home at 25540 S. Canal St. Friday morning, attempting to find the best angle at which to battle the flames visible through the window and burning through the roof of the residence. No firefighters were injured fighting the fire, the cause of which remains undetermined.

"The home suffered extensive damage as a result of the fire, including collapse of the roof on the first floor," said Channahon Fire Protection District Chief John Petrakis in a press release.

Petrakis noted the value of the home and its contents, nor the assessed monetary damage, had been determined at the time the press release was issued late Friday afternoon.

Just before 11 a.m. Friday, the Channahon Fire Protection District was dispatched for a possible structure fire at 25540 S. Canal St., Channahon. Upon arrival, according to the press release, fire crews came on the scene of a two-story home with "full fire involvement on the first floor and visible flames through the roof of the first story."

The home, which is owned by Jerry and Linda Helms of Channahon, was determined to be vacant shortly after fire crews arrived.

The first arriving fire companies initiated an exterior fire attack with multiple hose lines to bring the fire under control.

"Once the majority of the fire volume was extinguised," Petrakis said, "fire crews were able to gain an interior advantage and extinguish the remainder of the fire."

The fire was brought under control at 10:46 a.m. and determined to be extinguished at 11:27 a.m. Fire crews were not released, however, until 2:57 p.m.

No injuries were sustained by firefighters working at the scene of the fire.

Agencies assisting at the scene included Minooka, Troy, Plainfield, Coal City, Wilmington, Lockport, Elwood and East Joliet fire protection districts, as well as MABAS Division 15 Rehab Unit and the Channahon Police Department. ComEd and Nicor were also requested to the scene to secure utilities.

MABAS Division 15 Fire Investigators were summoned to the scene to conduct the fire investigation. The cause of the fire is still not known and remains under investigation.